Spanish Sparrow (Passer) [XC606809]
by Paulo Alves from Wamm Farms,Dibba Al Fujairah, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates (call)
Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) [XC495907]
by Francesco Sottile from Sardinia (near Golfo Aranci), Provincia di Olbia-Tempio, Sardegna, Italy (call)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and Passer italiae. All three sometimes considered conspecific.
Hybridizes extensively with House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), and in southern Italy with Passer italiae. Hybrids with Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) have also been reported.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
hispaniolensis (Temminck, 1820) - Iberian Peninsula, Sardinia, Greece and Balkans, western Asia Minor, eastern Atlantic islands (Madeira, Canary Is and Cape Verde Is) and north-western Africa (Morocco east to north-eastern Libya).
transcaspicus Tschusi, 1902 - Cyprus, eastern Turkey and Levant east to Iran, Afghanistan, southern Kazakhstan and north-western China (western Xinjiang). Non-breeding also north-western Indian Subcontinent.